Alexander Gould

A notable former child actor, Alexander Gould is primarily known for two very different roles-as the voice of the imperiled title clownfish in the Pixar undersea animated hit "Finding Nemo" (2003), an...
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Lions Gate via Everett Collection
When we last left our heroes, they had conquered all opponents in the 74th Annual Hunger Games, returned home to their newly refurbished living quarters in District 12, and fallen haplessly to the cannibalism of PTSD. And now we're back! Hitching our wagons once again to laconic Katniss Everdeen and her sweet-natured, just-for-the-camera boyfriend Peeta Mellark as they gear up for a second go at the Capitol's killing fields.
But hold your horses — there's a good hour and a half before we step back into the arena. However, the time spent with Katniss and Peeta before the announcement that they'll be competing again for the ceremonial Quarter Quell does not drag. In fact, it's got some of the film franchise's most interesting commentary about celebrity, reality television, and the media so far, well outweighing the merit of The Hunger Games' satire on the subject matter by having Katniss struggle with her responsibilities as Panem's idol. Does she abide by the command of status quo, delighting in the public's applause for her and keeping them complacently saturated with her smiles and curtsies? Or does Katniss hold three fingers high in opposition to the machine into which she has been thrown? It's a quarrel that the real Jennifer Lawrence would handle with a castigation of the media and a joke about sandwiches, or something... but her stakes are, admittedly, much lower. Harvey Weinstein isn't threatening to kill her secret boyfriend.
Through this chapter, Katniss also grapples with a more personal warfare: her devotion to Gale (despite her inability to commit to the idea of love) and her family, her complicated, moralistic affection for Peeta, her remorse over losing Rue, and her agonizing desire to flee the eye of the public and the Capitol. Oftentimes, Katniss' depression and guilty conscience transcends the bounds of sappy. Her soap opera scenes with a soot-covered Gale really push the limits, saved if only by the undeniable grace and charisma of star Lawrence at every step along the way of this film. So it's sappy, but never too sappy.
In fact, Catching Fire is a masterpiece of pushing limits as far as they'll extend before the point of diminishing returns. Director Francis Lawrence maintains an ambiance that lends to emotional investment but never imposes too much realism as to drip into territories of grit. All of Catching Fire lives in a dreamlike state, a stark contrast to Hunger Games' guttural, grimacing quality that robbed it of the life force Suzanne Collins pumped into her first novel.
Once we get to the thunderdome, our engines are effectively revved for the "fun part." Katniss, Peeta, and their array of allies and enemies traverse a nightmare course that seems perfectly suited for a videogame spin-off. At this point, we've spent just enough time with the secondary characters to grow a bit fond of them — deliberately obnoxious Finnick, jarringly provocative Johanna, offbeat geeks Beedee and Wiress — but not quite enough to dissolve the mystery surrounding any of them or their true intentions (which become more and more enigmatic as the film progresses). We only need adhere to Katniss and Peeta once tossed in the pit of doom that is the 75th Hunger Games arena, but finding real characters in the other tributes makes for a far more fun round of extreme manhunt.
But Catching Fire doesn't vie for anything particularly grand. It entertains and engages, having fun with and anchoring weight to its characters and circumstances, but stays within the expected confines of what a Hunger Games movie can be. It's a good one, but without shooting for succinctly interesting or surprising work with Katniss and her relationships or taking a stab at anything but the obvious in terms of sending up the militant tyrannical autocracy, it never even closes in on the possibility of being a great one.
3.5/5
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As the golden era of Pixar gives way to the new, even more profitable silver era of golden-era sequels, we can at least give thanks for the return of the originals' creative forces. Swimming quickly toward fruition is Finding Nemo 2 — a property that has earned everything from heated anticipation to anguished "Why?"s — making headway with the latest casting announcement: Deadline reports that the 2003 under-the-sea film's star, Albert Brooks, is returning as the voice of Marlin.
RELATED: 'Monsters University': Kids Finally Get Their Animal House — TRAILER
There's no word yet on where the sequel will take Brooks' worrisome clownfish, his free-spirited son Nemo (voiced in the original by Brooks' Weeds grandson Alexander Gould), or the flighty and forgetful fan favorite Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) — and until we learn the premise, we're destined to squirm over the degree of schlock that might well be applied to the decade-old characters in the name of the studio's sequel craze.
RELATED: Ellen DeGeneres in 'Finding Nemo 2': What's In Store for Pixar's Sequel Future?
Pixar has delivered follow-up films with varying quality. The Toy Story sequels not only kept up with their groundbreaking first chapter, but built toward a dazzling complete idea that hit you with a vengeance by the time 3's credits began to roll. Cars 2, on the other hand, felt only like a money-grabber, riffingly lazily on Cars' merchandising opportunity. We'll have to see how well Monsters University, which seems to be transporting Inc's good-hearted working stiffs to a crazy college-set brouhaha, works out. And then there's Nemo — what can follow Pixar's heartfelt take on the road comedy genre?
And, more importantly, will there be seagulls?
[Photo Credit: Walt Disney]
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Most of the technology-loving world saw Disney-Pixar’s Finding Nemo when it hit theaters in 2003, and for the most part, we all loved it. The sweet tale about a little fish sheltered from the rest of the oceanic world suddenly being ripped from his father’s warm anemone and thrown into the foreign landscape of a dentist’s aquarium while his father adventures his way across the ocean to save his son with his forgetful, hilarious friend at his side is easy to love. And the brilliant, colorful, detailed visual of Nemo (Alexander Gould), Marlin (Albert Brooks), and Dory’s (Ellen DeGeneres) undersea world captivated audiences. But the film was in theaters only a few short years ago. Why re-release it so soon?
It’s simple: Finding Nemo should have been done in 3D in the first place. Unfortunately, the ubiquity of the technology was a bit far off at that point, a format reserved for Spy Kids flicks and James Cameron documentaries, and the film was released in all its beauty in the 2D format. It’s for that reason that the quality of 3D in September 14’s re-release isn’t quite what it could be: 3D conversion tends to experience a lower level of quality than films made in 3D from the start. It’s enough to make you wish you could turn back time and give the Pixar folks the gumption to try it on the now-classic film.
Still, we’re lucky that Pixar did eventually give into Nemo 3D, even if it was as an afterthought. Finding Nemo’s sweeping ocean scenes — especially the introduction of Marlin’s vibrant reef, the journey through the E.A.C. (East Australian Current) with Crush the Turtle, and the dangerous bouncing game through the bubble-gum pink jelly fish forest — are practically begging to be seen in 3D, and the conversion does it well enough to be worth the cash to get into the theater.
So, while the film hasn’t been out of theaters quite long enough for audiences to “miss” it the way they did Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King when they were released in 3D, Nemo is one of the most logical choices for Disney’s re-release plan.
Nemo 3D certainly won’t surprise you. It will be exactly what you’d expect it to be. But it will enchant you. And hey, it’s a Disney movie: enchantment is sort of their bread and butter.
Follow Kelsea on Twitter @KelseaStahler
[Photo credit: Disney/Pixar]
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From a beguiling love interest to a problematic professional fighter, some of TV's quirkiest favorites and most anticipated new shows are adding new roles. Check out who is joining the casts of Supernatural, Netflix's House of Cards, and more in our casting roundup below:
Weeds: Daniele Watts, whose previous credits include Cold Case and Criminal Minds and who has a small role in the upcoming Quentin Tarantino film Django Unchained, joins the cast as Angela Mullen, the first recurring love interest for Shane (Alexander Gould). Angela is a fellow police recruit whose quirky allure catches Shane's eye at the academy.
Supernatural: Ty Olsson has landed a recurring role on the eighth season of The CW's Supernatural as Benny, a tall, dark, and handsome stranger. While best known as Sam on Men in Trees, Olsson is no stranger to the fantasy/sci-fi mystery genre, having appeared on Once Upon a Time, Battlestar Gallactica and in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn. The CW is keeping a tight lid on Olsson's Supernatural storyline, but we do know that he is a survivor with an ingrained sense of honor and a tell-it-like-it-is blunt manner.
Banshee: Relative newcomer Cedric Stewart (Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse) has been added to the cast of Alan Ball's new drama Banshee. Banshee's action revolves around Lucas Hood (played by Anthony Starr), a criminal who assumes the identity of the sheriff of small town Banshee, PA. Hood of course continues to be haunted by his law-breaking past as gangsters he has crossed hunt him down. Stewart is slated to play Damien Sanchez, a pro MMA fighter who gets into some trouble when he travels to Banshee for his big fight.
House of Cards: Sebastian Arcelus, who is best known for his work on Broadway in shows such as Wicked and Jersey Boys, joins the cast of the David Fincher-produced Netflix original series House of Cards, set to premiere next year. Kevin Spacey stars in this political drama based on Michael Dobbs' novel of the same name as Rep. Frank Underwood, the House or Representatives Majority Whip set on taking over the Presidency. Arceleus' role has not yet been released.
Follow Abbey Stone on Twitter @abbeystone
[Photo Credit: WENN.com]
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TV Casting

S07E03: I’m not too thrilled with Weeds at the moment. And I’ll be honest with you because we’ve grown to know and trust one another, I feel like I owe you the truth at the very least. Prior to reviewing the show in an official capacity, I had never watched Weeds on a weekly basis. I got into the show sometime around when the fourth season was ending and subsequently watched each season after their completion in one fell swoop. Maybe the show was more palpable weekly in its earlier days, but I have a feeling this is turning into a season that needs to be watched in one fell swoop to be fully enjoyed.
That’s not to say it was "Game-Played’s" fault. There were certain moments that I found enjoyable and entertaining, but the glacial pace of the developments almost sucked all interest of the show out of me. Not to mention the baffling actions of most of the characters.
Like with Nancy, I honestly have no idea what the hell she thinks she is doing. What exactly is her motivation to start selling again? I guess I can understand “try again, fail better,” but these three years behind bars must have really messed with her head. Or maybe I can just see the manipulations better. Like her interactions with Andy and the new drug counselor. She’s obviously upset about her sister wanting to get custody over Stevie, but she turns on the charm with the counselor lady and gets her way. I’d almost feel sympathetic for her (because she really does love the kid and want him back), but then she goes and runs all over Andy. Granted, he does everything she asks of him, but he’s basically a big dog. He’s loyal, true, good-natured, and when she’s off to go screw her dealer and leave a bag of explosives in his new apartment, he’s still in love with her. And Nancy takes advantage of that.
"Ooh! Bottomless bacon! Yes!" - Doug
As mentioned before, Andy bought an apartment that can, at best, be described as threadbare. Having gone through the housing hunt in New York City, I can attest that you find some strange places (a giant St. Bernard in a tiny, tiny two bedroom apartment -- huh?). It seems like a good central spot to root the family. Shane tries to enroll in college, but finds it a bit more difficult than he thought. But when he mentions that he could possibly be an international student, the admissions office is a bit more welcoming. And when the subject of payment comes up, student loans are touted and Shane takes off to the bank. I know next to nothing about loans, interest, fixed rates and what not, so if Shane is trying to play a game with them I probably won’t understand it, but will pretend like I do because that’s how I roll.
And finally we get to the one interesting story that was compelling throughout: Silas’ art world gig with Lindsay Sloane. Sloane plays the typical “artist” who has grand reasons for hiding her identity and nearly killing her performers and luckily, she doesn’t play it too over-the-top. Instead, she is just a girl. Silas doesn’t really appreciate nearly being suffocated, but Sloane has grander ideas in mind. She wants someone to step up and save the model and somehow Andy is the only one to do that. It's an interesting idea that could have become pretentious or horrible satire, but it struck a nice balance.
Luckily, the previews for next week look promising. We’re finally getting some Martin Short and Andy beds Lindsay Sloane. Works for me. I still wish I could just fast forward in time and watch the season in one big chunk, but the world doesn’t work like that for me. Yet. I’m working on it.

S07E02: This was a rather insignificant episode, no? A few things happened, sure, and a few balls got rolling, but overall we got a fairly boring episode this week. That isn’t Weeds' fault though. Second episodes tend to do this. The first episode introduces everything then the second one sets it all up for the rest of the season. Weeds just happened to deliver a pretty boring set up. Oh well, it was still enjoyable.
As the AV Club noted, storylines in Weeds move at a glacial pace and that was never more evident than in Nancy’s plot this week. For some reason she wants to get back into selling weed and after bartering with her counselor for more time outside she takes the explosive rolling suitcase to her cellmate’s brother for even more bartering. Yay, bartering! And as we saw in the previews for next week, it seems Nancy really hits it off with that family though that’s a different kind of bartering.
"Lots of rape." - Ed
Now Silas and Doug are out having their own adventures. Doug meets up with an old college buddy who invites him to get back into the “game.” It's a little douchey, sure, but I have a feeling throwing Doug into Wall Street would be quite funny. Sure, it could be a little too Franklin and Bash, but Kevin Nealon can handle it. Silas’ story was actually rather poignant. He has a meeting with a modeling agent set up by his old agent and this new one isn’t feeling him. The new agent was a little too much of a caricature for me, but Silas makes up for it with his plea that he's a hard worker. It's sincere and I really liked that someone in this family is trying to make an honest dollar. Although, I’m not exactly sure how hard you can actually work at being a model. But whatever, I’m sure the ladies love an excuse to see Silas shirtless.
So yeah,we saw a rather weak episode interspersed with a few solid moments. Nancy’s eye contact with Silas as she sneaked out was another good metaphor. The bag of bombs representing her self destructive nature was another nice touch along with the cutting back and forth from the video Shane and Andy watched to Nancy’s journey back. This week didn’t completely turn me off from Weeds, but it only barely made me care enough to tune in next week.

Longtime American actor Richard Dreyfuss is making a brief return to television this summer with a multiple-episode guest appearance on Showtime's peripherally pot-based comedy series Weeds. Dreyfuss will be playing an unexpected character from Nancy Botwin's past.
This season sees Nancy (Mary-Louise Parker) and family on the run after Shane (Alexander Gould) killed Pilar (Kate del Castillo) with a croquet mallet at the end of the fifth season. In order to avoid the Mexican FBI, the police, and the cartels, the Botwins have to pack up, ditch their cell phones and IDs, and take to the road.
Dreyfuss, who is best known for his turn as the titular music teacher and father of a deaf son in the inspiring Mr. Holland's Opus (1996), will join a slate of previously announced Weeds guest stars, including Linda Hamilton, Peter Stormare, and Mark-Paul Gosselaar, as well as returning guest stars Alanis Morissette and Jennifer Jason Leigh.
The sixth season of Weeds premieres August 16th at 10PM on Showtime.

Title

First film appearance was in the suspense thriller, "Wes Craven Presents: They"

Began the role of Shane Botwin on the Showtime dramedy series "Weeds"

Appeared in the "Weeds" series finale

Cast in the feature film adaptation of "How to Eat Fried Worms"

Summary

A notable former child actor, Alexander Gould is primarily known for two very different roles-as the voice of the imperiled title clownfish in the Pixar undersea animated hit "Finding Nemo" (2003), and as the troubled Shane Botwin on the long-running drug-centric dramedy "Weeds" (Showtime, 2005-2012). He began making significant screen appearances while only six years old, turning up on episodes of the TV comedies "Freaks and Geeks" (NBC, 1999-2000) and "Malcolm in the Middle" (Fox, 2000-06). After more featured spots on various television series, Gould was cast as Nemo, with his adorable aquatic character sharing scenes with fellow fish voiced by no less than acting vets such as Albert Brooks and Willem Dafoe. In 2005, he finally became a substantial on screen presence when he joined "Weeds" as one of the sons of the show's lead, Nancy Botwin (Mary-Louise Parker). Appearing on "Weeds" well into his teens, Gould didn't stray from the production often, but the series allowed him to develop nuanced acting skills that would likely serve him well in young adulthood.